Dear readers,
We decided to go digital-only with our April issue because we had few ways to get the print edition into your hands without risk. The magazine will be back out there as soon as possible, and in the meantime, we’re here for you with all the support and information we can muster everywhere digital from seattleschild.com to Instagram and Facebook Live.
We all sure had the rug pulled out from under us, didn’t we?
As parents, protecting our families from harm has always been our biggest worry, but until now that might take the form of keeping the toddler out of the street, coaching our kid on handling a bully, or getting the teen to stick to curfew (none of which has ever been easy).
Now we face keeping away an invisible, terrifying menace with our only weapons being “Happy Birthday” hand washing and staying away from friends and extended family.
We feel the cold grip of fear take hold on a regular basis, and the sense of vulnerability that usually stays tucked far away has become a constant companion. While getting out the door in the morning on time used to be the day’s big challenge, our new most daunting task is maintaining one’s equilibrium while establishing new routines to give our kids the structure they need. That former life we had before “it” turned everything upside down feels dreamy and very, very far away.
I find great comfort these days in the advice my dad gave me when I was in a tough stretch: “Just take one step at a time.” Now that we’re not running past each other all the time in a rush to get someplace else, you may find yourself getting plenty of practice in “being present” from the little meditation teachers in your house, nudging you over and over to focus only on what’s in front of you right now and asking you to really look at and listen to them.
With bouquets and birdsongs of encouragement, spring carries us forward to better times. When we do finally emerge from our homes, I imagine we’ll bring stronger emotional muscles built up by the daily heavy workouts we’re getting, and a greater appreciation for our profound dependence on one another.
What do you hope to bring with you when this oddest and scariest of times is finally over?
— Ann Bergman
Seattle resident Ann Bergman is the publisher and editor of Seattle's Child, the magazine she founded in 1979.
